Ladder to American Success

Children of Immigrants Do Much Better Than Parents' Generation, Study Shows

By

Miriam Jordan

Updated Feb. 7, 2013 11:35 p.m. ET

LOS ANGELES—Verenisa Alfaro has two master's degrees, owns a home and considers herself solidly middle class. Her Mexican immigrant parents have a third-grade education, held low-paying jobs and still rent in a working-class neighborhood here.

Ms. Alfaro's success may be more prevalent than most people think, according to a study released Thursday, which found that adult children of immigrants are substantially better off than the...